


It's Hard to Buy Gifts for Orphans

by flourishingsouls



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A bit OOC characters, Alternate Universe - Daycare, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Orphanage, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Baby Hinata Shouyou, Dysfunctional Family, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Poetry, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Akane Yamamoto, Kid Kuroo Tetsurou, Kid Miya Astumu, Kid Miya Osamu, Kid Miya Twins, Kid Oikawa Tooru, Kid Ushijima Wakatoshi, More like Kid but eh, No Romance, One Big Happy Family, Orphanage, Orphans, Parental Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Slow Build, Slow Burn, basically fannon based on actually characteristics of the actual characters, kid Bokuto Koutarou, kid Yachi Hitoka, kid akaashi keiji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29530305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flourishingsouls/pseuds/flourishingsouls
Summary: What could he gift a small, parent-less child with an overactive imagination and predisposition for giving even a stranger some heart palpitations? How could you shop for a clingy, shy volleyball fan with a habit of latching himself onto his friends? They say not to be attached to an orphan. She told them the best gift to give an orphan is distance. The tiny, clenched hand in his own was hard to ignore, despite its size.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma, Bokuto Koutarou & Ojiro Aran, Goshiki Tsutomu & Hinata Shouyou, Goshiki Tsutomu & Tendou Satori, Goshiki Tsutomu & Ushijima Wakatoshi, Hinata Shouyou & Ushijima Wakatoshi, Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio & Oikawa Tooru, Kuroo Tetsurou & Sawamura Daichi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Life by the Day is Full

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for clicking onto this story, however, I have a few warnings. First of all, I'm not a manga reader or even a very active anime watcher. That might lead to some characters to be a bit OOC and filled with headcanons. Some of the ages will be tweaked. Grade levels will be tweaked as well as their roles in volleyball. The high school this work takes place in is slightly japanese and american. If you want to discuss a change to a character's personality as this is a different AU, feel free to comment.  
> There's no romance, although there might be some pining or hinted relationships between the older high schoolers. I feel as though puppy-dog love, as I like to call it, is common for children, especially around charming older sibling-like people, so if you are uncomfortable with that, please skip out on this work. No romance or anything of the sort will happen with the youn characters. If there is s*xual content, it will only be hinted at and come with a warning. As this work will incorporate a lot of characters and new dynamics outside of the existing ones ( i think....), the story might go a little slowly and burn slowly as well. I don't have an upload schedule, but am quite busy outside of writing times, so watch out for that as well. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this !Haikyuu¡ fic!

The boy in the corner of the playroom will develop a permanent pout at the strength of his frown. He sat on the floor with his legs to the side of his drooping figure. His still-dripping raincoat hung on the coat rack as the only evidence of his crime.  


“Hinata-kun, are you ready to leave the corner? Have you thought enough yet?” Daichi-san peeked around the corner after his question.  
“Yes, Daichi-san. Can I go to my room, now?” Hinata swayed and twirled his fingers, looking down to the hardwood floor. With a big sigh and smile, Daichi walked over to grab Hinata’s hand. The walk to his room didn’t take long.

“Hinata! I was telling Aonie that I thought Daichi was gonna keep you in the corner forever!” The bubbling boy threw his arms around Hinata and let his weight fall onto him. The kid had the decency to look a bit shameful after Hinata reminded him of his manners. Hinata situated his arms to try and lift the other boy to their shared bed, but couldn’t quite muster the strength. “I’m so glad you’re back; Aone was being really quiet.”  


“Oikawa, I’m not tall enough. Can you go to your bed, please?” whined Hinata, upset at his lack of strength compared to his senior. Aone decided to walk over and carried Oikawa off Hinata for him, before dropping him on their bed. “See, Aone is nice.”  


“Hinata! I’m nice too! Are you gonna sleep with Aone tonight, then?” The frown on Oikawa’s face was enough for Hinata to run over to Aone and give him a quick hug on his arm. He looks up to the boy’s face.  


“Aone, tomorrow?”  


“Okay.”

* * *

The popping of oil and smell of ham flow around the house with the rising sun. Before the start of school, Kuroo and Yachi wake to make breakfast. Kuroo wakes first, getting out of bed carefully so as to not disturb his two roommates. Walking down the hall, he stops in front of the smallest door and knocks once on the wood. After that knock, Kuroo wakes Yachi and escorts her down to the kitchen.  


“Yachi, do you remember the rules?” Kuroo grabs both of her hands and squats down to her eye-level.  


“Of course, I know them Kuroo-san. You said I can’t learn how to cook from you if I don’t follow your rules,” Despite her age, Yachi already got into the habit of lowering her voice in the morning. “Rule one. Safety first. Rule two! I can’t turn on the stove, and the microwave, and ano… the toaster. Oh, and the oven. Rule Three! I have to listen to what you tell me to do, cause I’m still small. Even if I grew an inch…” Yachi pouts, much in line with the rest of her family. Kuroo gives her a warm smile and pats her on the head before leading her to the sink to wash her hands.  


“You might be growing Yachi, but you’re still a small lil bub so you need to stay safe. You don’t want to be hurt, right? It would make me feel bad, too.” remarks Kuroo, mirroring Yachi’s earlier pout with an exaggerated frown of his own. Yachi’s excitement for making breakfast dims slightly at the thought of any of her friend’s being burned by a stove, but quickly recovers.  


Aone is last for breakfast, but finishes in half the time it takes Hinata to eat. Rambling was one thing they did not share.

* * *

Why did he have to calculate anything about gravity? If gravity had not existed, Kenma wouldn't have been plagued by Newton and his fun, little laws. If Newton never cared, Kenma wouldn't have to do these stupid textbook problems about physics. Kenma wouldn't have to do anything in this class if goddamn physics could've just been left alone...!  


“Oi, Kenma, you good?” Kenma lifted his eyes through his blonde fringe to see his friend Taketora, smiling but concerned. “Are you okay? You looked a bit...upset there?”  


“I’m fine. Is it lunch yet?” Taketora nodded his response and tapped Kenma’s desk before heading off into the hallway. Packing up his supplies and books, Kenma headed over to the classroom exit. Glancing once to the right, he spotted Taketora, and they headed to lunch.  


Please, give gravity back to Kenma. Give anything besides actual human interaction. His home economics teacher had yet to stop talking about the special opportunity that their class would be getting. In a program to boost values and community, their rich, snotty boarding school would be letting some classes participate in niche programs designed to develop the ethics of high school boys.  


Ikeda-sensei’s third year class would be getting to visit a special children’s hospital for cancerous patients. Ukai’s second year class would be visiting the local food bank to help with storage and distribution. Much to his anxious-ridden horror, Kenma’s class would be visiting a young children’s orphanage.  


“Man, the government must really be scared of those birth rates if they’re having us visit orphanages.” Kenma couldn’t really rebuke that, but the boy beside him didn’t seem like he’d care about those poor kids either way.

* * *

“Hiroaki, Masahiro, and... let me check again, Ishikawa, if those grades don’t jump, you’ll be dismissed from the volunteer trips. Now, let me go over the trips again. The teachers finalized the assignments each class will be doing.”  


Tension instantly bled from him the moment Kenma’s teacher announced that there would only be three (3) out of the nine children there who would be selecting a partner first-year to show around. The other students of the class would be talking to the worker there and a social worker specifically there to show them around the facility.  


Their assignment would be either ideas on improving the adaptation, foster system or orphanages of Japan or if they were chosen by a child there, the effects adaptation and fostering have on Japanese orphans. The visit to the orphanage would be a one time thing, except for the partnered first-years, if they choose as such. Kenma couldn’t be sure that his below-average height and blonde fringe would aid or hinder his, hopefully, low chances of being chosen.


	2. Eye Contact Never Intimidates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, woooo! Feel free to give any feedback you'd like in the comments. Anything is appreciated, including respect 💕.

Running his hands through his hair, Daichi let out a soft sigh. Yachi stood in front of the small mirror, looking bashfully at Daichi with her pastel purple cardigan.  


“Look here, Yachi. You have to slip the button into the holes on the other side,” Daichi deftly closed some of the bottom buttons before handing the cardigan back to Yachi.  


“I know, Daichi-san. It was just slippery and I couldn’t put the buttons in.” After putting on her purple jacket, she bounced back to the mirror. A twirl here and a hair flip later, Yachi, her purple cardigan and her long, white skirt stood in front of Daichi. They walked out into the hallway to join Kuroo and Hinata, where they were waiting for the high-schoolers. “Daichi-san, are there gonna be any girls when the older kids come here?”  


“Yachi, I’m sorry, they’re an all boys school. Remember when I told you that there’s not many people out here?”  


“Yes, and they have a lot of money. And, and they had buildings built out here for the boarding school. So, that they won’t feel alone from other people,” replied Yachi.  


“Exactly, that’s why we’re also out here. The people who created this place were teachers and they wanted to teach the kids at home. But now, you guys can go to the schools outside because the people in the government give us a bit more money now. There’s only 9 of you kids here, so we need to be able to take care of you guys,” explained Daichi. That was enough for Yachi as she started to walk towards Kuroo and Hinata after his explanation. Thank god she isn’t grown yet. Daichi wouldn’t know how to explain orphanages and how the system works to a child.  


“Yachi! Hurry, Kuroo is teaching me about his science stuff!” Yachi’s hand let go of Daichi’s as she rushed over and plopped down where the two boys were sitting.

* * *

Kenma’s seat on the bus couldn’t be worse. His head started to pound, and the air of the  


the bus seemed to be just avoiding his lungs. His stomach was starting to really tumble and juggle inside of his vibrating, sitting body. His seat at the back of this sickening yellow bus was not the place to be right now.  


It was only a short amount of time until Kenma could be freed from this horrid, metal-doored prison of a transport. Hopefully, his new green skin could ward off any curious little gremlins when they would get to the orphanage. Miyashita-sensei shouted through the bus.  


“We’re arriving in a few minutes. Behave well, don’t embarrass yourself and be nice to the kids!” The bus started to buzz with even more activity as they neared the orphanage on the outskirts of the small, rural town. “Don’t leave anything behind in the bus! And don’t even think about doing anything to disturb the kids or their caretakers!”  


The girl to the side of Kenma suddenly turned after their teacher’s brief announcements and asked “Do you want to be paired up with one of the kids?” Her face held a dopey grin and excited eyes as Kenma considered if he did want to be paired with a kid for the assignment.  


“Ehrm, uh, I don’t know. Depends on the kid, I guess,” answered Kenma. His answer sufficed for his classmate as she gave a meaningful nod. Kenma struggled to ask her the same question back, but lost his opportunity as she turned forward to bother her friend in a different seat. If his sickness subsided, hanging around a relatively quiet, shy kid for however long was much more appetizing than hanging around his rambunctious classmates.

* * *

Yachi’s eyes bore into her shoes as she heard the high schoolers enter their facility. Daichi-san told her that she’d choose a partner to talk with for this program. With the help of Hinata and Kuroo, she came up with a criteria for her future partner. Height was a no. Tall people scared Yachi. Kuroo threw a fit because of his continually claims that he would grow up to be super tall when he got to high school, and if Yachi didn’t like tall people, it meant that she wouldn’t like Kuroo.  


After much deliberation from Yachi and Hinata, who also wanted to be tall when he became even older, they decided that a tall partner wouldn’t be so bad, much to Kuroo’s satisfaction.  


After the brief sneak peek Hinata had from his spot behind Kuroo, he wished to mention that, because of how short Yachi was, maybe a tall high schooler would hurt his back trying to do anything with her. Hinata saw Daichi sometimes hold his back when he got up from helping Yachi. It didn’t look very fun to Hinata.  


Deciding on one more sneak peek, Hinata held the sides of Kuroo-san’s arms and quickly jutted his head out to the side. He spotted one bald guy, a few girls with pins in their hair and a lot of purple.

* * *

As Miyashita-sensei went through the customary introductions and rules, Kenma caught the eye of one of the hiding kids. The boy was hiding behind a slightly older looking kid with a pretty smug grin on his face. The moment their eyes met Kenma turned ever so slightly to his teacher and averted his eyes. Out of his peripheral, he could see the little boy follow his movement, turning to observe Miyashita-sensei. Kenma could only hope that the kid could sense that Kenma wasn’t much of a people’s person. Even less so was he a person who could interact with the energy of two people capsuled into one halved adult body. 

* * *

Hinata chose a hunched over boy with shortish black hair. After his teacher was done with the introduction of the facility, Daichi-san and his friends, Hinata wanted to tell Kenma that it wasn’t good to hunch even just a little bit. Kiyoko-san always helped them sit straight at the dinner table and when they watched some TV.  


Daichi hadn’t actually let them choose yet, but Hinata already set his eyes on the timid looking high schooler. With the three kids in tow, Daichi pulled them off to the side as the high schoolers started to disperse a little and observe more of the room they were in.  


“Do you guys remember what I told you earlier?”  


“Yes! Daichi-san, you said we could choose one person to be our partner for the next few weeks. They are gonna visit us a bit and we get to play around with them!” Hinata didn’t get to interact with people outside of the orphanage a lot. The amount he did get to interact was great and Hinata loved being nosy, but sometimes one new person could be fun. When Daichi had first told them of the new collaborative program, Kuroo swapped his normally very sly grin for a pout.  


Hinata knows Kuroo is really, really smart and he trusts Kuroo like Yachi does, but he thought it was a little mean that he said that the high schoolers didn’t actually care about them. He said they were just rich and bored, and the city needs to make them look good, so they sent them to their orphanage. Kuroo says the word orphanage, even though Daichi prefers to call it a day-care, even though he takes care of Hinata during the night as well. Hinata thinks that orphan day-care is just fine. “Remember what I said Kuroo! Just choose a good person if you think they’re bad people!”

* * *

Kenma was chosen by one of the little kids at the orphanage. He grappled with the fact that he doesn’t have the most masculine, intimidating distinction to his other classmates, but still, there were plenty of charming young girls that were clearly very happy to see the three little children. Looking up slightly to his left, he locked eyes with the same girl who had spoken to him on the bus. She gave him a smile and a thumbs-up. Kenma smiled slightly back, feeling a bit guilty that he hadn’t even really wanted to be partnered with a kid, but was chosen anyway.  


“Hello, everyone, we’re back now. You guys have a few minutes to talk to the kids if you want to, but feel free to come up and ask me anything if you need it,” prompted Daichi, letting the kids huddle around underneath him while the high schoolers decide whether they’d like to approach the young kids.

* * *

‘Be brave!’ was what Hinata wanted to tell the black-haired boy as he diligently stared at him. Kuroo was busy sulking by Daichi and Yachi stood off to the side, entertaining some girls asking about her blonde hair. Shyness was never a struggle for Hinata, but he could understand how Kenma maybe didn’t want to come meet him first. He has met some pretty scary kids, too. So, it was okay. Hinata understood.  


However, if this high schooler wanted to be friends with Hinata, he’d have to be a bit braver than this.


End file.
